Warrior Chronicles 5: Warrior's Curse (9 page)

“We are not picking up anything from any of the sensors. No signs of intelligent life at all. But there are definite signs of previous habitation. I’m reminded of agricultural development. There are large, evenly-sided sections of land that are recently farmed. There are also abandoned cities.”

“Is there any indication of where they went? Is this a situation like Solitude?”

“No, General. On Solitude, the quasar sterilized the planet and evolution started over. In this case, both flora and fauna have developed normally and are consistent with other benchmarks of the planet’s age.”

“Is there anything else that is unusual about the planet, Ship Primary?” H’uum clicked.

“No, Supreme. Well, yes actually,” Siella amended, “the planet’s magnetic field is exceptionally strong. It disrupts our scans. We have not been able to probe more than one kilometer below the surface in most areas.”

“Why would that be?”

“Without further direct investigation, I cannot answer that, General. My geology team suspects the actual core of the planet might be to blame. It might have a much higher iron content than most of our planets. However, the measured mass of the planet does not support that theory.”

“Are there any other suitable planets nearby, Ship Primary?”

“Supreme, there are two planets in a nearby system that would be suitable for our people, but not for humans. The radiation levels are too high for them, even with their synthetic blood supplement. The next fully suitable planet is over one hundred light years from Hekla.”

Cort didn’t want to reveal the new tech to Siella yet, and H’uum only knew that Cort’s people were working on a new jump system. Having a base near the black hole was optimal in any case. “Ship Primary, set up the base on the planet you’re orbiting now. Keep your antennae up, though. Get my equipment printers going as soon as possible, and have some of your science people work on figuring out the magnetic field.”

“Yes, General,” Siella clicked.

“Once you have the printers online, make the modifications to the warp probe. Also, start monitoring the black hole. You’re early, and I want to take advantage of that. I don’t have any idea what you are looking for, but find it.”

Cort thought about the situation while H’uum and Siella discussed the base. In two days, another group of humans was going to be snatched. He wanted to find a way to stop the abductions, but he didn’t want to risk tipping his hand to an unknown enemy and lose the opportunity to put an end to either the disappearances or the enemy.

Finally he added, “Siella, don’t launch the warp probe until after we get hit again. In fact, wait at least thirty hours after the abduction before you launch it. There will be ten more trackers in the new group then. I wish I could give you more complete orders, but we are still flying blind here. Just keep your sensors going.”

“Yes, General.”

“H’uum, do you have anything else?”

“No, Cortland. Ship Primary, you have your orders. Please be careful.”

“Yes, Supreme,” Siella clicked. “Task Force Hekla, out.”

When Siella disconnected, H’uum clicked, “Cortland, I sense that you are troubled.”

“I’m always troubled by something, H’uum. This time it’s the base planet. We don’t have much choice, but I’m concerned about the magnetic field.”

“It could be something as simple as the planet’s field is flipping.”

“Or it could be another problem. In any case, it’s another variable. Fortunately, I have the ability to do something about this one.”

“Such as? You are still two months away, and that’s if you launch tomorrow.”

Cort smiled, though H’uum couldn’t see it. “What do you have on your schedule tomorrow, H’uum?”

--
 

The next day on Heroc’s World, H’uum woke to the sound of his door chime as he did every morning. He had expected it to be darker than normal because of an incoming storm, but it was still as dark as night, though his timepiece indicated it was two hours past dawn.

“Come in,” he clicked to the male that was bringing him sweetwater. While he was being served, he added, “I will be having another meeting Pledge Father Addison this evening. Clear my schedule and… ”

“But Supreme,” the servant interrupted. “they have already arrived.”

H’uum was confused, but quickly realized what Cort’s mysterious words meant the night before.
He has solved the jump problem.
H’uum looked at his timepiece again, then stood and allowed his aide to groom him.
If they left as soon as we disconnected, and he is already here, their speed now matches our own. That will be beneficial to us.
“Excellent. I did not realize the meeting was to be in person. Cover the yards and prepare a reception for this high sun.”

“Yes, Supreme.”

“Where are they now?” H’uum asked as he lifted his wings to allow them to be cleaned.

“Prince Dalek and Pledge Mother Kimberly are in Heroc’s park. They brought gifts for our newest juveniles which they are distributing now. Pledge Father Cortland is still aboard his ship and sent word that he would like you to join him at your convenience. He asked that the Queen join you, if her schedule permits.”

“Then have her schedule cleared. Do not prepare the reception. I have a feeling that the Pledge Father has something else in mind.”

Before leaving H’uum’s sleeping den, the valet said, “Of course, Supreme.”

--

H’uum was inspecting the new engine. “You told me you had made progress in your engine research, Cort, but I had no idea you had already matched our speed. I am not an engineer, so I don’t know what I am looking at, but your arrival here in your own ship after so short a time is impressive. What speed does the engine allow?”

Cort nodded to Liz, who smiled as she turned to answer H’uum. “H’uum, we jump. Like with the Nill core. Distance is not relevant. If we have a star map, we can go there instantly.”

H’uum’s mandible stretched into an expression Cort recognized as shock. His first memory of the expression was the look on a Cuplan’s head when Cort tortured his companion. H’uum’s was a more pleasant expression, but held the same disbelief.

“How? Is it tested? Are there limits?”

“Theoretically, there are no limits. Thanks to George, we have learned how to manipulate the shape of the warp bubble. We extend it to our target location, then collapse the field behind the ship. The bubble collapses instantly, pulling the ship to the new location.”

Cort could see her jaw clench as she remembered her test of the system that had killed unknown aliens. He stepped forward to take over the explanation while she regained her composure. “It’s been tested thoroughly, H’uum. There was one problem, but it was unrelated to the technology. I’ll tell you about it later.” Cort realized something then, and looked directly at Liz as he said, “But even that test was a success. It proved that the warp bubble protects the ship from damage if it jumps into other matter. As for limits, the only one we know of is that we have to know where we are going. If we have a map of the target area in relation to our position, we can jump there instantly.”

Cort saw comprehension in both Liz’s and H’uum’s faces. He knew it was different in each case. Liz suddenly saw that her accident had given them both a new weapon and a new defense. H’uum was now realizing why Cort had asked H’uum to clear his schedule.

“So we are going to join Primary Siella at her mystery planet today?” H’uum asked.

“Yes we are. And I’ve got some reinforcements for her. Four armored companies, including a wolfpack. By the end of the day, there will be a heavy combined regiment there. They will be remaining with Siella, by the way. I have a separate force for my jump through the wormhole. Just as soon as you tell her to clear us a parking space, we will begin jumping.”

“A parking space?”

“Just tell her to clear some space for us to jump. Is she a capable administrator, H’uum? I know her military experience is good, but we need a governor there. Should I send someone else, or can we promote her?”

“She is well-qualified for the position. She is also of the new broods, so her lifespan will be close to forty years. That is one of the reasons I chose her to lead the task force.”

During the war with the Tapon, the Deins, distant cousins of H’uumans, chose the wrong side. As a result, their brood queens were integrated into H’uuman society, significantly lengthening the lifespan of the species. The males of that species were allowed to live out their lives, but they were not permitted to breed within the new society. The H’uuman branch of the family tree was very resistant to radiation. The cost of this benefit was a much shorter lifespan; H’uumans only lived for ten years at most while their cousins could live for up to fifty. Selective breeding with the queens of the cousin species created a life expectancy of forty years now, with all but one of them spent as active adults.

“What about leadership?” Liz asked.

Though H’uumans venerated their breeding females, the queens had never been allowed to rule directly. Their first queens were lawgivers, but no female had ever served as a planet’s primary ruler.

H’uum clicked, “Queen Laypa has issued her canon law. For the remainder of my life, queens may serve as both planetary and system primaries.” His mandibles stretched into a smile. “Siella’s brood mother was once Laypa’s handmaiden, so when I brought up the topic of colony leadership to her, Laypa immediately suggested the solution. Let no queen say that her primary is not as capable of subterfuge as she herself is.”

Cort laughed appreciatively. “We should make our jump.”

H’uum put an upper limb on Cort’s shoulder. “I have one request, Pledge Father.”

Cort look up at the taller being. “You went formal. What’s that going to cost me?”

“Even though this will be a H’uuman colony, it will be an Ares Federation base. In the interest of our further integration, it would be a great honor to Siella if she were to be given command of the system by Prince Dalek.”

Cort thought about the request. On one hand, it would be a great honor for Siella. On the other, he had worked very hard to keep Dalek out of the political light. He said, “Dalek will certainly be there. And he can participate in whatever ceremony we have, but I’m the leader of the federation, and it’s by my authority we are promoting her, so I will give her command. I don’t see any reason why Dalek cannot give her the insignia for her uniform, such that it is.”

H’uum smiled. “You seem to have a way to give people exactly what they need without giving them what they want, Cort. You are an apt leader.”

Six

The planet below Cort was unsettling to him. The only habitable planet in a system of seven, it looked very much like the Earth he had left three centuries before. Large squares of well-tended agricultural land, small towns with cement buildings, large cities with skyscrapers and urban sprawl. It was an oasis planet covered with an abandoned blight.

Speaking to H’uum, Liz, Siella, Laypa, and Kim, he said, “They are still here. The occupants of the planet, I mean. They are still down there.”

The small group was in a conference room on Siella’s command ship, observing the planet below through a viewscreen. It looked much like earth, but the green of the cultivated land beneath them had a red tint to it. Cort looked at the well-defined circles and squares below them.

“General, we have picked up nothing on sensors. There is no one down there,” Siella clicked.

Cort disagreed. “The farms are still tended. The cities may be abandoned and the population may be hiding, but they are down there.”

“He’s right.” Kim magnified a small area on screen to get a better view. “Those crops are too uniform. That is an active farm.”

“So where are they?”

“That’s a good question, Liz.” Cort said. “Siella, what about the other planets in the system?”

“General, none are capable of supporting any agricultural species. Only one object in the system is of a similar gravity. It is a moon of the largest gas giant that was stripped of its atmosphere millions of years ago. The only thing I cannot explain is the planet’s magnetic field.”

“Then that’s where our answer lies. Liz, when does the
Lincoln
arrive?”

“It is waiting for orders.”

Cort looked down at the planet again. “Bring it here now. I want H’uum, Laypa, Kim, and Dalek on it as soon as possible. Get them back home.”

Kim slid her arm into his as she asked, “What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know. It might be nothing, but I won’t risk the four of you until I find out.”

“I will stay,” H’uum clicked.

The others looked up at him.

“The hell you will,” Cort said.

“Cortland, my time is near. I was already four when you allowed me to assert with Heroc. I have perhaps one season left before I am incapacitated. I will spend that season at your side. Laypa and I have already selected our next leader. We decided on a male from one of the new broods. He is my offspring, but he will have a lifespan of at least forty years.”

“H’uum your timing sucks. I can’t – No, I won’t force you to stay in power. But I need to know much more about this male you have chosen to replace you. I would honestly prefer someone of the old broods. What if his loyalty is to the other line?”

“He does not know he is of the other line, Cortland. The succession has been planned for many seasons. All new brood males were taken from their queens while they were still eggs. No one in our species except myself and the Heroc Queens know who was from what queen. Not even Laypa knew until I told her of my intention.” Laypa inclined her antennae in agreement.

“Who is he?” Kim asked.

“It is Jaif. Of Dalek’s guard.”

Cort breathed a sigh of relief. Jaif had been on Dalek’s security detail for almost a year. He had risen to be Tur’s second and no one could doubt his loyalty or his devotion to Dalek. Jaif had been working with the boy to overcome his speech impediment for almost the entire time he had been with the family. More than Cort’s own trust, the H’uuman had earned the trust of all the wolves. That alone spoke well of him.

Cort turned back to the planet in the viewport. “Does he have any administrative experience?”

Laypa spoke for the first time. “I will guide him, Cortland. I will be his First Queen, as I have been H’uum’s.”

“Isn’t that unusual?” Liz asked.

“For the old species, yes.” H’uum clicked. “But our cousins allowed the practice, and we feel it will be a good way to further integrate our species.”

“I can’t argue with that.” Turning back to H’uum, Cort asked, “Are you sure, my friend?”

“I am certain, Cortland. And I am ready.”

“We do this my way, then.” Cort touched the comm in his ear. “Ares to Jaif.”

After a moment, “Jaif, please bring Dalek to the starboard viewing station.”

When they arrived, Dalek ran to his father, hugged Cort’s legs, and grabbed onto a fold in the man’s tunic, trying to pull himself up.

“Poppa! Help me!”

Cort picked up his son and turned to Siella. “Ship Primary Siella, I’m promoting you to Military Governor of this system. You will need to determine your replacement and transfer command of your ship immediately.”

Siella’s antennae stood erect as she looked between H’uum and Cort. “I… I don’t understand.”

H’uum said, “Siella, you have earned it.”

“Now Poppa? Now?”

“Yes, Dalek. Now.”

Dalek put his hand in his pocket and took out two epaulette-like films. He held them out to Siella, who kneeled and reached slightly up to take them from the boy.

“Thank you, my Prince. And thank you, Pledge Father. Your trust will bed rewarded with my unending loyalty to the Ares Federation,” Turning to H’uum, she added, “And to our people, Supreme.”

Cort said, “Congratulations, Governor.”

Laypa helped Siella remove her rank films from her carapace, then lined the new ones up on the governor’s upper shoulders.

After the women were finished, H’uum turned to face Jaif. “Jaif, you have served our Prince well. The Pledge Parents have praised you. Your primary has praised you. I now praise you.”

Jaif bowed formally from his thorax. “Thank you, Supreme.”

H’uum held up two arms and clicked, “You are released from your current duties. I am stepping down as Species Supreme and I have selected you to take my place as Supreme of the species. Please follow Laypa. She will take you to our quarters so that you may assert yourself as our new leader.”

Jaif was stunned. His limbs hung limply at his side, and all four of his antennae stood fully erect.

Laypa took one of his middle arms and softly clicked, “Swear your allegiance to Dalek and the Ares Federation, Jaif.”

Laypa’s touch helped Jaif to regain some composure. He turned to Dalek and lowered himself to the boy’s level. “Dalek, you are my friend and liege. I will bend the will of the Jaifan empire to do your bidding.”

Jaif stood and faced Cort. “I don’t know what to say to you, Pledge Father. My oath to Dalek was taught to me when I was young. My oath to the federation hardly seems enough for what has been thrust upon me. I will always honor our bonds, and Heroc’s Law will guide me in all that I do.”

Cort smiled and clapped Jaif on the back. “Your First Queen is waiting, Jaif. Congratulations.”

“What did that mean, Poppa?” Dalek asked as Jaif and Laypa left the room.

“It means that Jaif has a new job. He’s going to do what H’uum does. Don’t worry, little man. I’m sure you will still see him a lot.”

“What’s H’uum going to do then?”

Cort was still smiling as he looked between the two. “He’s going with me to help some people from Earth.”

--

His family and the new ruler of the Jaifan empire had returned to Ares space, where H’uum was working with the Jaifan Marines to learn their weapons on Heroc’s World. Cort was still in the new system. In his quarters aboard the
Kalashnikov,
he was talking with Siella
.
“Governor Siella,” Cort said, “I don’t envy your task. We would normally not occupy a planet that is already in use, but we have no choice this time. Our space stations aren’t advanced enough to support this kind of operation. We need to occupy the planet, at least temporarily. I want you to set up your base on the outskirts of one of the agricultural areas. Do not move into those areas unless it is absolutely necessary. I also want you to keep your impact on the planet to a minimum. If you must use local resources, do so sparingly. We must not strip this planet for our own benefit. As long as we are here, we are its protectors. Am I clear?”

“Yes, General. If your assessment is correct and the planet is either occupied or in use, how do you want me to handle first contact?”

“We don’t have a protocol for that, Siella. It will fall to you to develop a procedure. We will utilize and adapt what works or fails here to meet future requirements. That being said, you have four primary objectives: Number one is to provide any necessary support to the rescue operation on the other side of the wormhole. Number two, you will protect your civilians at all costs. Number three, you will defend this planet. Finally, and most importantly, you will protect the Ares Federation, even at the cost of all other objectives.”

“Yes, sir. May I ask why you stayed? The next abduction event is still over a day away, and you have the invasion of another galaxy to plan.”

“I’m going down to the surface today with a squad of Marines. Once we figure out where they are, I would like to make contact with the planet’s inhabitants and have their blessing to use surface assets while you build an orbital base.”

“Is that a good idea?”

“I don’t know, but it’s how I operate, so I’m doing it. If we can find them and they are friendly, it could be very beneficial to us. They seem to have no protection, and we happen to be god-like when it comes to war. It’s a perfect match.”

Cort thought about the European invasion of North America before the industrial revolution on Earth, and what it did to the continent’s indigenous people. “I want to reiterate, Siella, you must protect this planet as long as we are here. Unless your survival depends on it, you will not force their cooperation or subjugate them.”

“Of course not, sir. My species’ own history, especially under Cupla and his two predecessors, is demonstrative of why that doesn’t work.” After a moment of thought, Siella asked, “Sir, why did you let the Cuplans live?”

Cort regarded the woman and thought about his reply. As was his habit when he needed time to think about an answer, he walked across the room and poured them both a drink. After handing Siella her sweetwater, he sat down and took a sip of his whiskey. “Siella, I don’t like killing. I’m proficient at it. Hell, I kill prolifically. But that doesn’t mean I like it. The Ares Federation is primarily peaceful. I know you find that hard to believe, but Dar…” Cort stopped himself.

After a moment, he said briskly, “Rand will do everything in his power to keep peace and solve problems diplomatically. Personally, I don’t give a shit about politics. I will protect our federation. If I can do that peacefully, I will. If not, I will slaughter my way across the universe. It’s my way or the highway. You need to learn Rand’s way. But be prepared for mine.”

Siella smiled. Cort had no idea how the phrases translated to clicks, but she clearly got the idea. “I understand what you mean.”

“Three hundred years ago I spent my time killing people because it was easier to kill them than to get them to agree with my government. Have you met Bazal, Governor?”

“No, sir. I’ve not had the pleasure. I have read his work on diplomacy though.”

“He might be good in this situation, now that I think about it. He is to peace what I am to war.”

Cort tapped new orders for Bazal into his flexpad. Then he looked up and finished his answer. “The point is, by the time I become aware of a problem, there are no other options, so I go in guns a-blazing. I recognize that my military is our last option, and act accordingly. When it’s time to kill, I kill. If I do find another solution, or if I create one, I back up. When I learned of your species’ customs and military tactics, I found a way to spare them. Once they stopped crystallizing planets, anyway.”